Bon Bon's Acceptance-Part 1

The soothing melody of gentle lyre music filled the air of the Sweetie Drops Candy Shop, mixed with the sounds of laughing foals and idle conversations. It was a busy day, and the whole place was completely packed with ponies, much to Berry Punch's surprise.

"Wow, Bon. This place is pretty crowded," Berry said as she walked up to Bon Bon, who was sitting on a stool behind the checkout counter. She approached her with an alcoholic sangria in hoof, one of her favorite drinks that she had just gotten from the new bar that the human was currently working at.

"I know! I can hardly believe it!" Bon Bon replied excitedly as Berry came around the counter to sit down next to her.

Berry smiled at her friend, then glanced over the countertop where she spied a small, portable aquarium next to the cash register. Inside was a familiar looking spider, who she quickly remembered was named Scary.

“You got the spider working for you now, too?” Berry teased whimsically with a smirk.

This seemed to get Scary's attention, since he turned around and looked up at her, waving a foreleg.

“He likes to say hi to all the customers with me,” Bon Bon explained. “Plus, he gets pretty lonely when he’s at home all by himself. Lyra actually found this little aquarium for him, so I can take him everywhere with me.”

“And the customers don’t mind that a spider's up here helping you ring up their purchases?” Berry asked, arching a curious eyebrow.

Scary seemed to take offence to that remark and scowled at Berry, shaking his little body in protest.

“Well, so far, nopony has said anything. They don’t seem to mind,” Bon Bon explained as she looked down to the spider lovingly. “In fact, a lot of customers seem to like him.”

This seemed to cheer Scary up, and he turned to face Bon Bon with a smile. Or at least, what looked like a smile. It was hard for Berry to truly tell, but he looked happy nonetheless.

“Well, that’s good,” Berry said before looking down at her friend’s hind leg, seeing that her cast was no longer there. “How’s the leg?”

Bon Bon took a moment to stretch her back right leg out, flexing her hoof up and down to show off her mobility. “It's all healed up now! I didn’t lose any movement in it, which was a relief. I only had to do a couple weeks of therapy and magic treatment once the cast was off; the doctors said I made a full recovery.” She flexed her hoof a few more times before letting it fall limp against the stool again, then turned to her friend. "So, how's your drink?"

Berry took a small and disciplined sip from her cup, savoring the flavor and studying it for her appraisal. "Not bad at all. Crackers really knows how to mix a drink." She looked over to the new bar area where Ruby and her friends were sitting, watching in awe as the human juggled a few bottles in the air.

"Isn't he amazing?" Bon Bon said with a dreamy sigh, causing Berry to bite her lip, holding back her laughter at her lovestruck friend's expense. "It's so mesmerizing to watch him work, and the foals just love him. Everypony in town seems to be more friendly towards him now, too. We don’t get as many weird looks when we go out anymore."

"Yeah, he seems to be a big hit," Berry replied as she watched the human juggle three bottles, catching a few of them behind his back before tossing them in the air again. The fillies and colts in front of him cheered and stomped their hooves on their stools, enjoying the show. Even her adorable little Ruby joined in, a look of wonderment and joy frozen on her face.

Berry giggled at her daughter before glancing towards the other side of the shop. There sat Lyra, levitating her lyre in the air as she played in front of a group of fillies and colts that had gathered in front of her. Each of them had some kind of candy treat or drink in their lap as they listened to her play, all of them swaying and moving their bodies to match the soothing melody of the unicorn’s song.

After a while, Lyra picked up the beat, playing a faster and more joyful tune. She got up and started to dance and move around, which caused all the foals in front of her to follow suit and dance along with her.

“Looks like Lyra’s a pretty big hit, too,” Berry pointed out happily.

“Is she getting them to dance again?” Bon Bon asked excitedly as she looked over to where Lyra was. “She loves doing that.”

“The foals seem to love it as well,” Berry added, taking another sip of her sangria. She put her drink down on the counter next to Scary’s aquarium, then faced her friend before continuing. “So, things with the shop have been pretty smooth then?”

“Things have been great!” Bon Bon replied brightly. “It was pretty rough at first though… We hardly had any customers after the grand reopening… No pony came in for the longest time. I think it might have been because ponies knew Chris was working at the shop now.”

“I remember that, but it seems to be okay now,” Berry pointed out brightly. “I mean look at how many customers you have.” She fanned out her hoof, gesturing to all the ponies that were in the shop, shopping for candy.

Bon Bon nodded her head, looking around her store. “We do have a lot of customers now,” she admitted. “I think the word has been spreading around town.”

“It has been, actually,” Berry said with a gentle smile. “I know I’ve been hearing ponies talk about this place all over town. I even heard a few of the mares at work talking about your shop.”

“Really?” Bon Bon asked curiously. “I hope they’ve been saying good things.”

Berry shrugged her shoulders. “They mostly just talk about Crackers and how your shop has a new place to get drinks now. They don’t really say anything good or bad. I just hear ponies say they want to come down and see what all the fuss is about.”

“Oh? Well, that’s good to hear, I guess. At least it’s nothing bad,” Bon Bon said before looking over to Chris and Lyra, letting out a soft sigh. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be working with both of them, Berry. It’s been like a dream come true. The shop has never run so smoothly before, and I’ve never seen it this busy during the spring time.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place so filled with candy before,” Berry added as she looked over all the shelves that were practically overflowing with sugary sweets. “Is Crackers helping to make all this?”

“He’s been such a help, Berry! Its so nice to have somepony else helping in the kitchen, especially somepony like him who knows his way around.” Bon Bon gazed lovingly over at Chris, who was now happily taking a new drink order from Ruby Pinch. “It’s amazing how fast we can cook things when we’re together.”

Berry smiled wickedly at her obviously smitten friend. “So, how are things with those two? Get locked in anymore cabins lately?”

Bon Bon laughed lightly at her friend’s cheeky little joke. “No, I haven't been locked into any cabins,” she replied, rolling her eyes a little. “But, things have been wonderful. Chris and Lyra have both been so helpful and supportive these last few months. I just don’t know where I would be now if I didn’t have them in my life.”

Berry chuckled a bit at her friend’s corny statement. “Well, that’s about the cutest thing I’ve heard all day,” she teased, picking her cup up off the counter and taking another sip of her drink.

“It’s true!” Bon Bon replied quickly with a light blush. “They've both been wonderful and have helped me so much.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Berry deadpanned, taking a large gulp of her drink before setting the cup down on the counter again. “So, is Lyra still living with you now that your leg’s all better, or did she move back with Crackers?”

“Lyra moved back in with Chris, but it hardly matters,” Bon Bon replied nonchalantly, waving a limp hoof in the air. “We spend most of our time at his place anyways.”

“Oh, do you now?” Berry cooed with a devilish grin. “I couldn’t possibly imagine why.” She paused to look over at Chris, who was now supporting Ruby in his arms, letting her pour some juice into a cup. “Just remember, Bon. Breathe through your nose and make sure you keep your jaw loose. Oh, and use lots of tongue!”

Bon Bon blinked at Berry in confusion. “Use… lots of tongue? What do you mean? What would I use my tongue on?”

Berry chuckled, not the least bit surprised that her fellatio joke went over her friend's head. “You know,” she said with a suggestive wink. “Stallions love it when you use your tongue.”

Bon Bon stared at her friend for a moment as the cogs in her mind started to turn. Her eyes widened, followed by a bright blush that appeared on her face once she finally got it. “B-Berry! I-It’s not like that!”

Berry held a hoof to her lips, suppressing her laughter. “Sure it’s not. Whatever you say, Bon.”

Bon Bon scowled and puffed out her cheeks. “Really, Berry. We haven’t done anything like that yet… I-I mean again... a-and watch what you say around the foals!”

Berry waved a dismissive hoof in the air. “It’s fine. They don’t know what I’m talking about anyways. Plus, they’re all too busy with your lovers over there to even hear me.” She finished off her drink in one giant gulp, then set the now empty cup on the counter next to Scary. She let out a loud, relieved sigh before wiping her lips with her hoof, then turned back to Bon Bon. “So then, I guess the bigger question here is...” She hesitated with a wide grin, pausing for dramatic effect. “When are you going to make things… official?”

“Official?” Bon Bon questioned with a nervous chuckle. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Oh, come on now!” Berry shouted, giving her friend a playful shove. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You spend every waking moment with those two, and you even said yourself that you practically live at Cracker’s place.”

“S-so?” Bon Bon questioned again, blushing deeply.

“Soooo, when are you going to make things official with them? You know... When are you going to join their herd?” Berry clarified with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“W-well… I mean,” Bon Bon paused, unable to hide her smile as she looked over to Chris and Lyra. “I-I’m not sure yet.”

Berry rolled her eyes at her stubborn friend. “You practically live with them now, but you're not sure?” she questioned, shaking her head in disappointment. “Come on, Bon. I know you're smitten with those two. What are you waiting for? Just go for it already!”

“I’m just, you know… waiting for that... special moment,” Bon Bon clarified, tapping her hooves together nervously as she looked down to her pet spider.

Scary looked up to Bon Bon and shook his head. Obviously, even he agreed that she should have joined their herd by now.

“Well, that special moment,” Berry repeated, making quotes in the air with her hooves, “ain’t gonna happen. This isn’t some cheesy romance story, Bon. If you're confident that they can make you happy in life, then just go for it already! I know you want to!”

Bon Bon smiled to herself as she looked down to her hooves in thought. “Well, maybe… maybe we can all talk about it on our vacation.”

“Wait, you guys are going on vacation?” Berry asked curiously. “When is this happening?”

“Umm, well, we leave tomorrow when the weekend starts.”

“Well gee, thanks for telling me,” Berry teased lightly. “So, where are you guys going?”

“I-I really don’t know,” Bon Bon admitted shyly. “They won't tell me where we’re going exactly. They keep telling me it’s a surprise. All I know is that our train for Neighagra Falls leaves early tomorrow morning and we'll be staying up there for a couple days.”

Berry hummed to herself in thought as she tapped a hoof to her chin. “Maybe they're taking you back to your old secret spot. You know, the one from when you were a filly.”

Bon Bon held a hoof to her lips and giggled softly. “I highly doubt that’s where we’re going. No, that place is long gone now. Plus, all the firelilies have been completely harvested from that forest... it’s rare to find just one of those flowers. I still can’t believe Chris found this one,” she said, pointing a hoof to the flower in her mane. “It would be fun to see that place again, though. But, I think I know where they're really planning on taking me.”

"Oh? And where would that be?"

"Well, I told them a while ago that I’d like to go and see the waterfalls up there sometime," Bon Bon explained with a cocky smirk. "They think I don't know what they're up to, but I’m fairly certain that's where we're going."

"You really think so?" Berry asked, a little puzzled.

"Positive," Bon Bon answered quickly, nodding her head. "I mean, why else would we be going there of all places? There really isn't anything else up there except some old farms and a few small museums."

Berry shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if you're certain, then I guess you can act surprised when you get there."

"I've been practicing my shocked look," Bon Bon said as she widened her eyes and opened her mouth, placing her hooves on her cheeks, showing off her acting skills.

Berry laughed and shook her head. "Don't drop your jaw down so much, then I think they'd believe it."

Bon Bon closed her mouth and dropped her hooves back down, then smiled at her friend. They both giggled at each other before Ruby ran up to them.

“Mommy, look!” Ruby shouted excitedly as she quickly trotted up to them, carefully holding a drink in her magic. “Look! Crackers helped me make this!”

Berry squinted her eyes and looked down at her daughter's floating cup. It looked like some kind of fruit punch drink. “What is it?” she asked sweetly.

“Crackers said it was a sparkling iced tea sangria,” Ruby explained happily, beaming up to her mother. “It’s just like your grown up drink, only this one is for fillies! And Crackers let me make it, just like you make your drinks at home Mommy!”

Berry smiled at her little Ruby. “Oh, yeah?” she asked, sounding as interested in her daughter's accomplishment as she could. “What did he let you do?”

“He let me pour in the grape juice and tea in, then showed me how to mix it up!” Ruby explained with a little bounce before putting the straw of her drink in her mouth, sucking on it gently with a happy smile.

“That’s wonderful, Pinchy,” Berry said warmly. “But, are you ready to go home so you can work on that homework of yours?”

Ruby’s smile slowly left her face, and she stopped sipping on her straw. “Yeah… I guess we should go now…”

“Go tell your friends goodbye, then we'll head home. We can pick up some dinner on the way, too. How does Hay Burger sound?”

Ruby gasped in surprise. “Can we?!” she asked excitedly, to which Berry nodded in response. “Okay Mom, I’ll be right back. I have to say goodbye to Crackers, too!” With that, she turned and started to gallop off to the back of the store where Chris and her friends where.

“Don’t run, sweety! There’s no rush!” Berry called to her daughter, then sighed lovingly. “I tell ya, Bon,” she said looking over to her friend again. “I don’t know what I would do without my little Pinchy.”

Bon Bon frowned slightly, but kept her smile. “She is very sweet. Must be nice to have a foal of your own.”

“It is… it can change your whole perspective on life, y’know?” Berry explained warmly. “Little Pinchy wasn’t planned, but I’m glad I have her in my life now.” She smiled happily, watching her daughter say goodbye to all her friends and the human, but started to frown as she thought some more. “I just worry about her sometimes.”

Bon Bon titled her head to the side slightly in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Ehh, it’s nothing,” Berry said nonchalantly as her smile returned. “I just feel like little Ruby over there could use a father figure in her life, you know?” She sat up and stretched her back legs out one at a time before picking up her empty cup from the counter. “But, I’m just being a stick in the mud. I’m more than enough stallion for both of us.”

Bon Bon giggled at her friend and nodded her head in agreement. “You’re a great mother, Berry. I think Ruby will grow up to be a very strong and wonderful mare some day.”

“Yeah?” Berry questioned with a laugh. “Well, I’ll take your word for it, but I think we should be going now. Ruby has a lot of homework, and I know we’ll both be up most of the night working on it if we don’t get home soon.”

“Okay, Berry,” Bon Bon said, sweetly. “Thank you for coming down.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll make an effort to come down and see you more often,” Berry said as she started to walk towards her daughter, who had no doubt forgotten she was supposed to say goodbye and was now babbling at her friends about random things. “Tell me when you get back from your vacation. I’d love to hear how it went.”

“I will, Berry,” Bon Bon said as she waved goodbye to her friend.

Just then, a yellow pegasus customer walked up with a big bag of candy in his mouth. He set the bag down on the counter and waited patiently.

This got Scary’s attention. He turned to the pegasus, then waved his foreleg in greeting, causing the new customer to smile.

Bon Bon smiled as well, then cleared her throat so she could properly greet the gentlecolt. “Hello and welcome to Sweetie Drops Candy Shop and Bar! Would that be all for you today?”

“Thank you for coming! We hope to see you again soon!” Bon Bon said as she escorted the last customer of the night out of the store, then waved them goodbye. She turned and walked back into the shop, locking the door behind her before flipping the open sign to closed.

“Today went well. I think this was the busiest we've been since reopening day,” Chris pointed out happily as he leaned up against the wall that was next to the entrance.

Bon Bon smiled up at him. “You might be right, but we won't know for sure until we count the bits we made today.”

Chris nodded before getting up off the wall, yawning loudly. He stretched his arms out, easily touching the ceiling with the palms of his hands and causing his now untucked dress shirt to lift up slightly.

Bon Bon couldn't help but stare as he reached up, towering over her while revealing part of his lower abdomen. She couldn’t quite explain why, but seeing him stretch out like that, exposing part of his body that was normally covered was just so thrilling. If he would have done this before, she would've been terrified, but now it was exciting and admittedly... sexy. She had to take a moment to close her eyes and suppress all the lewd thoughts of him holding her tightly in those strong arms of his before speaking.

“Somepony's a sleepy bear, I see,” Bon Bon said with a light giggle, opening her eyes to look up at him once she composed herself.

Chris snorted, holding in a laugh. “Sleepy bear?” he questioned with a smirk, letting his arms fall limp at his sides. “You know, I love it when you call me cute and adorable things like that.”

“I know,” Bon Bon teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

Chris chuckled a bit before holding a fist to his lips, yawning again as he looked out of the window of the shop. “Well, it’s getting pretty late, and we still need to finish packing for our trip tomorrow.”

“Can’t you give me at least one little hint about where you guys are taking me?” Bon Bon pleaded softly, giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster with an over exaggerated, pouty bottom lip. She had a good idea about where they were taking her, but a little hint to help confirm her suspicions wouldn't hurt.

“Nope!” Chris answered quickly yet playfully as he turned to head back to the bar area. “Don’t worry, though. You'll see soon enough. I’m going to start cleaning up the bar.”

“Fine… be that way,” Bon Bon grumbled, watching Chris walk away as he hummed one of those strange songs from his old world. “I guess I'll start counting the bits we made today.” She started to walk to the sales register, but stopped halfway there once she saw Lyra leaning over the counter, resting her head on her forelegs. Her tail lightly swayed from side to side while she stared at Scary in his portable aquarium.

“What?! No way,” Lyra said in disbelief.

Bon Bon creeped up to them, getting a little closer to listen in on what they were talking about.

“You had over two hundred brothers and sisters?!” Lyra questioned, loudly. “That’s crazy! I bet you guys fought over who got to use the bathroom first a lot.”

Bon Bon raised an eyebrow at their bizarre conversation, but crept closer. She looked over to Scary, who was waving his forelegs around in the air and nodding his head at Lyra.

“Oh, yeah... I guess when you live in the woods, then the forest is your toilet,” Lyra said, nodding her head in understanding. “That must be kind of nice to just go wherever, you know?”

“What are you two talking about?” Bon Bon said as she cut in, walking up next to Lyra.

“Hey, Bonny!” Lyra cheered happily, turning her head to face her. “We were just talking about pooping in the woods and Scary’s family.”

“His family?” Bon Bon questioned, ignoring the part about pooping in the woods. She looked over to Scary, who was now waving at her. “How come he’s never told me about his family before?” she asked, sounding a little hurt and offended.

Lyra blinked at Bon Bon a few times before responding, “Well… did you ever ask him?”

Bon Bon frowned sadly. “N-no… I guess I just never thought to ask…”

Lyra giggled before pushing herself up off the counter. “Well, he told me that his mother left them pretty early on, so it was just him and his siblings left to fend for themselves for a while.”

“Oh, no. Scary, you poor thing,” Bon Bon said in despair, holding a hoof to her chest.

Scary dismissively waved a limp foreleg in the air at her, saying it was no big deal.

“It’s okay, Bonny,” Lyra added, stepping off the counter. “That’s a pretty normal thing for spiders. Their mothers and fathers don’t stick around when they’re born.”

Scary nodded his head in confirmation.

“Really? I… didn’t know that,” Bon Bon admitted, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought. At that moment, she realized that she really didn't know a whole lot about spiders. She made a mental note about going to the library at some point in the future to learn more about them.

“Yeah, you should ask Scary sometime,” Lyra said as she dropped her chest down to the floor, stretching her forelegs out in front of her much like a cat would while yawning loudly. She then lifted her chest up and proceeded to stretch her back legs out one at a time. “What a day. I can’t believe how busy we were.”

Bon Bon blushed as she watched Lyra flex that slim and toned body of hers. She could never understand how Lyra was able to stay in such good shape so easily, but oh Celestia, did she love watching her stretch and move like that. It was a beautiful sight and she had to take a moment to clear her mind before speaking to her. “W-we were really busy today... Thank you for staying to help us.”

Lyra stood up straight again and smiled at Bon Bon. “Of course! I love working with you guys,” she said as she looked out the window. “I wish I could stay to help you two close, but I really need to meet up with Octavia before it gets too late.”

“It’s okay, Lyra. We understand,” Bon Bon replied warmly. “Are you going to get your new practice time and concert schedule from her?”

“Yeah. Octavia said she would have it ready for me by the end of the day today,” Lyra answered, using her magic to place her saddlebags that were behind the counter around her flanks. “I’ll just meet you guys back at Chris’s place, okay?”

“Wait! Before you go...” Bon Bon said quickly. She put on the sad puppy dog look again, hoping it would work better on Lyra. “Can’t you give me just one little clue about where you two are going to take me before you go?”

Lyra smirked a bit before responding. “Sure.”

“Really!?” Bon Bon half-shouted excitedly, but quickly covered her mouth with her hooves once she realized how loud she was being. She turned her head and looked over at the far end of the shop where Chris was. He didn’t seem to catch her little outburst and was currently washing a few glasses in the sink, still humming that strange human song, much to her relief. She looked back to Lyra and took a few steps closer to her before whispering, “Okay, tell me. I want a hint.”

Lyra gestured with a hoof for her to move closer.

Bon Bon did as she was asked, leaning in before tilting her ear to face Lyra.

Lyra leaned in and whispered into Bon Bon’s ear, causing a slight shiver to run down her spine. “Are you sure you want a hint? It could ruin the surprise, you know...”

Bon Bon bit her lip and nodded her head eagerly.

Lyra chuckled quietly, then leaned in a little more until her lips where practically touching Bon Bon’s ear. “This whole thing was…” she hesitated, causing Bon Bon to whimper. “This whooole trip was aaaall… Chris’s idea.” She leaned back and gave Bon Bon a wicked smile before turning around to make her way out the door.

Bon Bon stood there confused. She blinked a few times as she processed what Lyra just told her. “W-what? Wait! That wasn’t a hint at all!”

“Bye, Bonny!” Lyra called as she unlocked the door with her magic, then walked out the front entrance. “I’ll see you later tonight!” She closed the door behind her, locking it again with her key before heading straight for Octavia and Vinyl's home.

Bon Bon puffed up her cheeks in an angry pout. “Can you believe that, Scary? That wasn’t even a hint!” she grumbled, then turned to face her friend.

Scary beamed up at her, snickering.

Bon Bon rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Fuzzball,” she said as she walked around to the back of the counter, but stopped when she noticed something. “Scary… Your aquarium is filthy!” She took a moment to look around his little tank, noticing all the dirty imprints of little spider legs on the glass and loose cobwebs all over the place. Not to mention the half eaten corpses of his older meals lying buried in the dirt. “Honestly, Scary. I don’t know how you manage to get your aquarium so dirty.”

Scary looked around his little space, no doubt seeing what Bon Bon was seeing. He looked back at her and simply shrugged his furry, little legs.

Bon Bon sighed. “Well, I guess we should…” she started to say, but hesitated, gulping in fear once she realized what she had to do in order to properly clean his tank. “W-we should get you... o-out… so we can... clean it.” She laughed nervously, fidgeting with her hooves on the ground for a moment before turning her head. “C-Chris... Chris!”

“Yes?” Chris called from the bar, stopping his humming as he put away the last clean glass.

Bon Bon turned to face him before calling out again. “C-could you come over here and help me, please?”

Chris put the cloth he was using to dry dishes with away, then walked over to Bon Bon. “Yeah, what's up?” he asked, once he was close to her. “What do you need help with?”

Bon Bon frowned, but tried to put on the best smile she could before pointing to Scary with a hoof. “S-Scary’s aquarium is dirty again… C-could you… Could you help me clean it, please?”

Chris looked over at Scary’s aquarium, studying it for a moment. “It does look pretty dirty. Yeah, we should probably clean it up, now. I'll do it, so you don’t have to worry,” he said as he picked up the aquarium.

“T-thank you,” Bon Bon said as Chris started to walk into the back of the store where the kitchen was. She followed close behind, then shut the door once they were in the back room together.

Chris placed Scary's aquarium on a counter, next to a sink. He then opened a cabinet under the sink and pulled out a small bag of new substrate for the aquarium before setting it down on the counter. “This shouldn’t take too long,” he said as he started to unlatch the top of the aquarium. He set the lid down and reached a hand in to pick Scary up.

Scary quickly crawled onto his hand and stayed still, letting Chris pick him up.

“C-Chris…” Bon Bon uttered as he was about to place Scary on his shoulder, causing him to stop.

“Yes?”

Bon Bon closed her eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. She took a moment to mentally prepare herself for what she wanted to do, then opened her eyes again and looked up to Chris and Scary. “I-I… I want… I want to try and… h-hold Scary again… while you clean his tank.”

“You want to try again?” Chris questioned, sounding unsure. “Do you think you can do it this time?”

Bon Bon looked towards Scary and chewed her lip nervously as she thought for a moment. She wasn’t afraid of Chris’s hands anymore, but spiders still freaked her out. She still couldn’t touch or pet Scary, and that thought saddened her. For the past few months now, she had been trying desperately to beat her fear altogether and be able to hold her little friend without freaking out. She wanted this more than anything, and today… today she felt like she could do it. “I… I think I’m ready… Yes… I can do it this time.”

Chris smiled before slowly taking a knee in front of Bon Bon, cradling Scary in his hands. “Are you sure?”

Bon Bon sat back on her haunches and held out both of her hooves. She put on the best smile she could muster and nodded her head.

“Okay,” Chris said, using a hand to gently hold one of her forelegs for added support, which helped to calm her immensely. “We’ll take it slow, okay?”

Bon Bon quickly nodded her head again in understanding, then watched as Chris slowly brought his hand that was holding Scary forward. She could feel her hooves start to tremble as her heart rate shot up once Scary came within centimeters of her.

“It’s okay,” Chris said, gently squeezing the leg he was holding, letting her know that he was there in case anything happened. “Just remember. Scary would never hurt you.”

“O-okay…” Bon Bon whimpered as she felt a familiar burning sensation start to build up in her hooves. She knew from her past experience with Chris that this pain was only in her mind, and she did her best to ignore it. ‘Scary won't bite you. He won't bite you!’ she thought to herself, hoping it would help her to relax.

Chris touched his fingertips to the edge of her hoof, creating a small bridge for Scary. As soon as his fingers made contact with her, Scary started to slowly crawl forward.

Bon Bon clenched her teeth together and squinted her eyes, turning her head away slightly as she fought the powerful urge to run out of the room. Her eyes stayed locked on Scary as he slowly approached her, stopping right at the edge of Chris’s fingers. She could feel her hooves start to shake even more, causing her to tighten her muscles, locking her forelegs in place as best she could.

“It’s okay. I got you,” Chris reassured her which did help to calm her nerves a little.

After a short moment, Scary, very delicately, reached a leg out and gently placed it on the hard edge of her hoof.

Bon Bon whimpered, but stayed still for him.

Scary looked up to Bon Bon before slowly inching his leg a little farther, touching the soft frog of her hoof and making sure it was okay to proceed.

Bon Bon clenched her eyes shut, expected his touch to hurt in some way, but she couldn't really feel much of anything, except that pain in her leg.

After a while, Scary started to slowly inch forward again, making his way onto her hooves completely.

Bon Bon whimpered again as she actually started to feel his little legs on her hooves. Her forelegs trembled, but she held on, doing everything she could to just stay still.

As soon as Scary made it onto Bon Bon’s hooves, Chris used both of his hands to hold her forelegs, helping to support her. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. “Do you think you can hold him now?”

Bon Bon slowly opened her eyes a little wider and stared down at Scary. She bit her lip, unsure if she could keep him on her hooves like this. She had never gotten this far before and for the first time since she was a filly, she was actually holding a spider!

After waiting a bit longer for Bon Bon to answer him, Chris slowly let go of her forelegs, then waited some more. “Bonny… are you okay?”

Bon Bon managed to answer him this time with a timid nod, her eyes staying locked onto Scary the whole time.

“Okay… well, I’ll be right here if you need me. I can take Scary away whenever you want,” he said, watching them for a moment before standing up. He turned back to Scary’s aquarium, then started to scoop out the old substrate, glancing over every once in a while and keeping his eyes on Bon Bon to make sure everything was going as well as possible.

Bon Bon stayed frozen in place as she gazed straight into Scary’s eyes. He stared back at her with a warm and friendly expression on his face, but Bon Bon wasn’t sure what to do now. Her hooves were still trembling, and she was frozen with fear. The urge to bolt picked away at the back of her mind. She fought hard to not throw Scary in the air and run out of the room as her panic started to rise. Her breathing became heavier and more erratic the longer she held him. She just wanted to tell Chris to take Scary off her, but before she could do anything, Scary started to lightly pet her hoof with his forelegs, causing her to tighten up and hold her breath.

After that, Scary slowly wrapped his forelegs around her right hoof, causing her to gasp and flinch back a bit. He went slow, moving his body down so he could better embrace her leg, hugging her lovingly.

Bon Bon could feel her panic attack slowly die down from his actions. “S-Scary…” she muttered softly as tears started to well in her eyes. Without knowing it herself, she started to slowly bring him closer to her as the burning feeling in her legs began to fade. It was at that moment that she realized how wrong she had been. Scary wasn’t something to be afraid of when he was out of his aquarium. He wasn't some terrifying creature that was going to bite her and send her to the hospital again... No… far from that… Scary was, and always has been… her friend.

“SCARY!” Bon Bon shouted in a happy cry, overwhelmed with emotion as she pressed the little guy to her cheeks in a tight hug.

Chris jumped back in shock from Bon Bon’s sudden outburst. He quickly turned, ready to take Scary off Bon Bon, but stopped when he saw her practically crushing him against her face with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Ehh, Bonny… you might want to let him breathe a little.”

Bon Bon looked up to Chris, then quickly took Scary off her cheek. “Oh, no!” she cried out, worried that she might have hurt her friend. “Scary! Are you okay?!”

Scary shook his body, using his legs to fluff up his fur before looking up at Bon Bon. He gave a little salute, telling her that he was alright.

Bon Bon smiled warmly at him as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She slowly brought him into her chest, being more gentle now as she hugged him. “Oh, Scary… I’m so happy right now.”

Scary wrapped his forelegs around her chest, and hugged her back.

Chris chuckled at the two before going back to cleaning the aquarium, wiping down the glass before replacing the old substrate.

Scary started to fidget a little in Bon Bon’s grasp, causing her to relax her grip on him.

“What is it, Scary?” she asked as he started to crawl up on her. She had to stifle her laughter as his little, furry legs tickled her to no end. He made his way up her neck and eventually made it to her mane, easily crawling up on her curly locks.

“W-where are you going?” Bon Bon asked, still trying not to laugh as he reached to top of her head. She could feel him turn around a few times before stopping, staying perfectly still between her ears, content in staying there.

Bon Bon giggled up at him. “Comfy?” she asked with a soft smile.

“Okay, all done,” Chris said as he turned to face Bon Bon again, taking a knee in front of her. “I can put Scary back now.” He reached his hands out, ready to take him away.

Bon Bon frowned and took a small step away from Chris. “W-well… you know…” she started to say, causing Chris to drop his hands down, giving her a curious look. “He’s in that thing all day… I mean… he’s not hurting anypony, s-so… maybe he can stay out here? You know… with us while we close the shop?”

Chris raised an eyebrow, then smiled warmly before standing up again. “I think that's a great idea, Bonny. And I know Scary would love that, too.”

Bon Bon smiled at him before wiping her happy tears away with a hoof. She got up and turned around, keeping her head steady as she made her way out of the shop’s kitchen. “Come on, Scary. You can help me count the bits we made today, then we can sweep the floors.”

Chris chuckled and shook his head, watching Bon Bon walk out the door with Scary on top of her mane. He looked to the freshly cleaned aquarium, then shrugged his shoulders before walking out of the room, shutting off the lights and closing the door behind him.

The cozy passenger car of the train gently rocked back and forth as it chugged along, heading straight for Neighagra Falls.

Bon Bon looked out the window next to her, watching the beautiful scenery pass by as they neared their destination. She was sitting next to Lyra while Chris sat on his own seat in front of them. It had to work out that way since Chris was so large, but it hardly mattered since both sets of seats faced each other.

"It's been ages since I last saw this place," Bon Bon said with a happy sigh as she watched the slow moving horizon. The tall trees and towering, rocky mountains reminded her of her old home from when she was a filly, and she enjoyed the small nostalgic trip.

"It really is a very pretty area," Chris added as he looked out the same window. “Every time I came up here looking for your firelily I wished that I could stay longer and visit some of the local towns. I couldn’t really do that though, since I spent all that time wandering the forest.”

Bon Bon looked away from the window and faced Chris with a curious expression. “How long did it take you to find my firelily?”

“Didn’t it take you at least a week of trips back and forth to find one?” Lyra asked, scratching her head in thought.

“Well, I found that one,” Chris said, pointing to the firelily resting in Bon Bon’s mane, “on the third or fourth day I came up here. But, I came back a few more times after that to see if I could find anymore. I think I spent about... four to five hours each day looking for some.”

Bon Bon frowned at this new information. “You really dedicated that much time just to find me this one little firelily?”

“Yeah,” Chris admitted with a soft smile. “I wanted to get you a whole bouquet, but we all know how that plan turned out.”

Bon Bon smiled at him and leaned forward, placing her hoof on his thigh. “It’s okay, Chris. The one you found me is perfect, and I’ll cherish it forever.”

“Well, I’m really glad you like it,” Chris replied happily, placing his hand on her hoof and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Still… I wish I could find you more of them...”

“That’s very sweet of you, Chris,” Bon Bon said as she leaned back in her seat before sighing sadly. “It’s just too bad those flowers are practically extinct by now.”

“Yeah…” Chris added with a hint of sadness to his voice before shrugging his shoulder. “Oh well. What can you do?”

“It sure does suck a big one,” Lyra added in a nonchalant manner with an odd air of confidence, smirking as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, putting her hooves behind her head.

Bon Bon raised a curious eyebrow at Lyra, finding the way she said that comment a bit odd, but shrugged it off. She looked out the window again, seeing her old home town coming into view. Her excitement grew as they got closer to their destination, eager to see what this big surprise was. Even though she was certain about where they were going, she still had a few doubts. Maybe she could try a different tactic to get a few more clues from them. She just had to ask the right questions...

“I hope you two didn’t spend too much on this little surprise…” Bon Bon said in concern, looking between them in hopes one would say something that would give her a clue. “I’d feel terrible if you two spent too much on this trip just for me.”

“Don’t worry, Bonny,” Lyra answered. “We didn’t spend a single bit.”

“Well, except for the train tickets to get up here,” Chris added with a chuckle.

“Ehh,” Lyra shrugged, waving a lazy hoof at him blindly. “Details.”

Bon Bon smiled wickedly, having the confirmation she needed. She had to stifle a happy laugh, feeling proud of herself for figuring out their little secret. She was a hundred percent sure that they were going to see the famous waterfalls now. Camping out there was easy and free of charge, so that had to be where they were going. “Well, whatever you two have planned, I’m sure it'll be lovely,” she said calmly in an attempt to thwart any suspicions they might have of her catching on.

“I sure hope so,” Chris said with a hint of worry and sadness in his voice.

Lyra simply chuckled softly as she continued to relax in her seat.

Bon Bon kept her smile as she sat back. She took a moment to think about how fun and romantic this trip was going to be. There was only one other thing that she could think of that could top a camping trip like this, but beautiful waterfalls were just as good and way more realistic than seeing some rare and extinct flowers again.

Even though Bon Bon was excited about their first vacation together, she couldn’t help but worry about their little friend back home. “Do you guys think Scary will be okay at Fluttershy's place?” she asked in concern. “I’m kind of worried about leaving him over there with all those other animals running around… w-what if one eats him?”

“You kidding me?” Lyra half-shouted excitedly, quickly opening her eyes as she sat up again. “Did you see the way Scary was checking out that lady spider Flutters had there?”

Bon Bon gave Lyra a confused look before responding. “You mean… that one that looked like Scary?” she asked. “D-do you think they’ll get along?”

“Ooooh, yeah,” Lyra cooed, nodding her head slowly with a sly, knowing smile. “I have a feeling they'll be getting along juuuuust fine.”

“Don’t worry, Bonny,” Chris reassured her. “Fluttershy knows what she’s doing, and her other animal friends won't harm Scary. I promise you.”

Bon Bon smiled a bit at that before tapping her hooves together in front of herself worriedly. “I know you’re right, and Fluttershy is great with animals, but… I just worry about him.”

“Next stop, Neighagra Falls train station!” one of the attendants called as he walked through the aisles.

The train came to a complete stop at the station, letting all of its passengers off. After that, Chris, Lyra, and Bon Bon went to gather their minimal luggage. Chris had a rather large backpack that held their single tent and sleeping bags, along with some other random items that they would need. Lyra was carrying the food and other survival essentials in her saddlebags, while Bon Bon really didn’t have much of anything to carry, except the firelily in her mane. She tried to offer some assistance with some of the load, but they insisted that she not carry anything for reasons that escaped her.

Once they gathered their belongings, they walking into town, then stopped at the side of a long stretch of road. Lyra waved a hoof in the air, flagging down a local carriage being pulled by two stallions to take them the rest of the way. The carriage stopped just in front of them and Lyra walked up to the driver before whispering something into her ear.

Bon Bon walked up to them to try and hear what they were saying, but the red earth pony carriage driver simply smiled and nodded her head at Lyra, ending their conversion.

“What did you tell her?” Bon Bon asked as she approached Lyra.

“Oh, nothing,” Lyra teased smugly as she opened the door to the carriage with her magic, holding it open for Bon Bon and Chris to enter. “Just giving her directions about where we're going.”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Right, of course… It’s all a biiiig secret,” she said sarcastically, sighing deeply before hopping up into one of the seats. Chris climbed in next and sat down beside her, dropping his large backpack to the floor. Lyra climbed in next, sitting on the seat opposite of them.

As soon as they were all settled in, the cart started to move, taking them to their destination.

Lyra and Chris both smiled at each other, then nodded, causing Bon Bon to raise a curious eyebrow at them. Using her magic, Lyra pulled out a thin piece of cloth from one of her saddlebags and floated it over to Bon Bon.

“What’s this for?” Bon Bon questioned curiously.

“It’s a blindfold,” Chris explained. “If you see where we're going, it could ruin the surprise.”

Bon Bon gave an adorable snort, holding in a laugh. “Wow, you two are really going all out with this surprise thing,” she said with a hint of sarcasm before giggling softly. It was hardly a surprise to her anymore, but she figured it would be best to play along. “Okay, I'm ready. Blindfold me.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, letting Lyra use her magic to tie the pieces of cloth around her eyes.

“Can you see?” Chris asked, waving a hand in front of her.

“Not at all,” Bon Bon said truthfully, turning her head towards the sound of his voice. “How long do I have to keep this on?”

“It might be a little while,” Chris replied. “We have about an hour ride and a little ways to hike before we get there.”

“And how do you two expect me to hike with this blindfold on?” Bon Bon asked, thinking she found a flaw in their little plan.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be carrying you up there,” Chris answered sweetly.

Bon Bon giggled and leaned against his side with a gentle smile, causing him to wrap his arm around her. She had to admit that being carried around in Chris’s arms was a lot of fun, so if he needed to carry her on their little hike, then she wouldn't mind. “I think I’d like that. But, are you sure you can carry my big candy-butt all the way up there?” she teased as she nuzzled into him a little deeper, getting ready to take a small nap.

“I think I can manage okay,” Chris reassured her, chuckling softly as he gently began rubbing her side with his hand. Soon after that, he started to quietly sing that weird song again, helping to lull her into a gentle sleep. It was kind of a catchy little tune, if only a tad strange.

“Bonny, wake up,” Chris’s soft and warm voice called to her, rousing her from her restful nap.

Bon Bon yawned and stretched out, then tried to open her eyes, but then quickly remembered the blindfold. “Are we there?” she asked groggily.

“Not yet,” Chris said gently as he scooped her up into his arms.

Bon Bon quickly latched on to him, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and resting her head on his shoulders. She sighed happily as she felt Chris step off the carriage and touch the ground.

“Thanks a bunch for the ride,” Lyra said to the carriage driver.

“Y'all have fun out there,” she said before whipping the reigns, causing the stallions in front to rear up and take off down the road.

“You guys ready?” Lyra asked as she trotted up to them.

“Yep,” Chris replied, adjusting Bon Bon in his arm a little.

“You two really didn’t need to do all this,” Bon Bon said as she nuzzled herself into Chris’s neck. “I mean, I’m not complaining or anything, but this is all just too much.”

“For you, Bonny... It’s worth it,” Lyra said as she started forward to their destination.

“She’s right, you know,” Chris whispered into her ear.

“Oh? Well, I really don’t know about that,” Bon Bon argued weakly as Chris started to follow behind Lyra. She let herself relax in his arms, enjoying the little ride to the waterfalls.

Bon Bon's ears perked up and flicked around, picking up any sound they could detect as they traveled. The first thing she could hear was snapping of twigs and the crunching of old leaves as Chris and Lyra stepped on the ground. It reminded her of the noise her own hooves would make when she was a young little filly, galloping through the forest. “So, you're both taking me into the forest? Should I be worried?”

They both laughed before Chris turned his head to respond to her. “Well, Lyra's with us, so maybe a little.”

Bon Bon giggled at that before listening to their surroundings a little more closely. She could pick up the sounds of the trees gently swaying in the cool breeze, adding to her feeling of nostalgia. The beautiful sound of birds singing in the distance helped to enhance the eerily familiar symphony of the forest, and it filled her with a happy feeling that she just couldn’t place… Why did these sounds make her feel so joyful and safe?

She kept listening, trying to pinpoint the reasons why these sounds made her feel so warm inside, but the smell of something sweet and earthy interrupted her thoughts. It smelled wonderful and instantly reminded her of her youth, of those more innocent days when she would just run and play, losing herself to her more adventurous side that she had long forgotten about.

Bon Bon continued to listen, finding something strange about that song that the birds were singing. “W-wait…” Bon Bon muttered softly, perking her head up as her ears flicked around some more. She knew the song these birds were singing! She knew it well and the birds that sang this particular melody only flock to one forest in the spring time that she knew of. And those smells… It smelled like…

“Wait! Wh-where are you two taking me…?” Bon Bon asked in a helpless and frantic whimper, feeling confused and almost panicked. There’s just no way that they were taking her to… “A-aren't we going to see the waterfalls?”

“Not today,” Chris answered nonchalantly as he continued to make his way through the forest. “Just wait, we're almost there.”

Bon Bon whimpered as the sound of Chris and Lyra’s steps start to die down. The crunching of leaves and twigs were soon replaced with the familiar sound of rustling, as if they were walking through a field of tall grass.

Suddenly, Bon Bon’s senses were hit with an overwhelming, sweet and sugary aroma that could only come from one source that she knew of. But, was she just smelling her own flower that was still in her mane? It couldn’t possibly be anything else… There's just no way! “C-Chris... Lyra?"

“Its okay, we’re here now,” Chris said as he slowed down, coming to a complete stop. He gently lifted Bon Bon up before lightly setting her down.

Bon Bon could feel her hooves touch something soft and delicate before she hit solid ground. Whatever it was that was touching her, it kept swaying in the breeze, gently tickling her legs. She wanted to just rip the blindfold off and see where she was, but a hand on her back stopped her.

“Just wait. Don’t take it off yet,” Chris said sweetly.

Bon Bon could hear him walking away from her, causing more of the same rustling sounds to be heard. Her senses were hit again with a wave of that same sugary scent as he did so. “C-can I take this off now?” she asked desperately.

The sound of Lyra’s magic humming filled the air and she could feel the fabric slowly untie itself, freeing her sights from its dark prison. Her eyes fluttered open, but were immediately assaulted with a bright light, causing her to look down and shield herself with a hoof. She had to squint a little, just to help keep some of the light out.

After a while, her eyes began to adjust, and her sights were met with a wall of blurry orange objects at her hooves. She focused on one of the larger objects in front of her leg, trying desperately to see what was tickling her so much. Soon, her sight cleared and there before her, lightly touching her leg as it swayed in the breeze was a small, delicate and beautiful… firelily.

But, there wasn’t just one firelily at her leg. There were hundreds of them all around her.

Bon Bon started to slowly look up in utter shock, following the endless trail of orange flowers. Her sights eventually came up to Chris and Lyra, who were standing next to each other only a short distance away. They both smiled at her lovingly.

“W-what… what is… h-how...” Bon Bon muttered in an incoherent stutters as her heart started to pound out of her chest. Her mind began to spin as she tried to process the impossible. She turned her head, glancing over the whole forest only to find that the field of flowers kept going. She slowly spun around, seeing a sea of never ending orange. In fact, it seemed to stretch on forever, covering absolutely everything. She couldn’t even see the grass or fallen leaves of the trees scattered on the ground… just more and more… firelilies.

Rays of sunlight shone through the dense tree tops, revealing tiny specks of pollen that danced and sparkled in the air, creating a beautiful scene before her. The whole forest seemed to shimmer and come to life, causing her eyes to tear up, overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. She was excited, confused, happy, lost and exactly where she belonged all at once. It was almost too much for her mind to process. This place wasn’t the famous Neighagra Falls; it was so much better. It was her old sanctuary, only larger. Her old spot to run to when life seemed to be at its worst. It was her childhood, manifested into the physical form all around her.

But, how?

Why?

“I-I… I don’t understand…” Bon Bon whimpered as more tears started to form around her eyes. She turned back to face Chris and Lyra, who were still gazing at her lovingly, waiting. “H-how?”

Chris walked up, taking a knee in the field of flowers in front of her. He looked her in the eyes and smiled brightly. “Lyra and I had the idea to try and find that secret spot of yours.”

“It was your idea,” Lyra sang happily from behind him.

Chris rolled his eyes, keeping his happy smile. “Yes, well… we both worked together to make this happen for you, Bonny,” he clarified, placing a hand on her withers.

“B-both of you?” Bon Bon asked, looking into his beautiful, hazel-colored eyes as a tear ran down her cheek.

Chris nodded his head “We both took turns come down here on different days to try and find your old spot, but we failed every time. We tried for a whole month to find that place, but it just wasn’t here anymore.”

“B-but… but, t-this―”

“All of this,” Chris said, glancing over the forest before looking back into her eyes. “Was Lyra’s idea. She thought if we couldn’t find it, then maybe we could try and recreate it. We had to ask Princess Twilight to help us with that part though. I called in a few favors and she was more than happy to assist with our gift to you.”

“Y-you had... Twilight… g-grew all these flowers?” Bon Bon whimpered as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

Lyra walked up from behind Chris and stood next to him before happily explaining. “She used a powerful spell to magically grow all these flowers. They’re all real, but will die within a few days. The spell she learned wasn’t a permanent one, only temporary. But, it gives us enough time to enjoy it and camp out here for a while.”

Bon Bon couldn't believe what she was hearing, or even seeing! She had to take a few steps back and turn away from them as she processed everything. This was the same forest she knew as a filly, but it wasn’t the same spot where she used to hide away... it was better than that… This was some kind of impossible dream come to life. She could feel her more adventurous and long lost inner filly screaming at her to be set free, so she could run amuck in the field and just… have fun.

“Bonny?” Chris called in concern after she went silent for a while. “Are you okay?”

Bon Bon slowly turned her head around, blinking her tears away as she looked at them both. Her legs started to tremble with anticipation as a wide and toothy grin spread across her muzzle. She burst into a fit of laughter before galloping off as fast as she could though the field of flowers, kicking up a cluster orange petals in her wake.

Chris and Lyra both gave each other shocked looks before smirking playfully. They dropped their saddlebags and backpack, then jumped up and gave chase.

Bon Bon continued to gallop and skip through the forest, giggling all the while. She tumbled into a thick grouping of firelilies and started to roll around. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she laid there on her back, then turned over onto her belly. She scooped up a large group of the flowers in her forelegs and pressed her muzzle into them, taking in their nostalgic scent.

“Bonny!?” Chris’s voice called from behind her, causing her to look back.

Bon Bon suddenly got an evil idea and quickly hid herself behind a nearby fallen tree. She stealthily crawled over to the end of the tree, peering out from under some of the exposed roots as she watched Chris and Lyra run up.

“Bonny! Where did you go?!” Lyra called as she followed next to Chris. They both slowed down and started to slowly walk around as they looked for her.

Bon Bon smirked to herself before slowly crawling back into her little hiding spot. She listened carefully to the rustling of the flowers as Chris and Lyra walked, gauging where they were. Once she was confident that they were close enough, she quickly jumped on top of the fallen tree, then aimed herself at them before springing into action. “Surprise!” she shouted as she jumped towards them, intent on tackling one of them in a deadly hug.

Chris jerked his head towards Bon Bon, then quickly rolled out of the way. Lyra yelled in surprise and jumped back as well, causing Bon Bon to miss them both.

Bon Bon landed on the ground, almost tripping in the process, but quickly regained her balance. She spun around, taking a more predatory stance, ready to pounce again as her tail wagged from side to side.

“Whoa! Good one, Bonny,” Lyra praised with a laugh. “You scared the buck out of me.”

“Yeah!” Chris added, picking himself up, brushing off some of the flower petals that had caught on his clothing. “I thought you had me there for sure.”

Bon Bon chuckled menacingly, then stood up a bit more before turning her back to them. “I bet you two can’t catch me,” she said with a cocky grin as she looked back, swaying her hips in a taunting manner.

Lyra and Chris both blinked in confusion before grinning with excitement. Chris was the first one to jump out to try and catch her, but Bon Bon was too quick. She jumped forward, causing him to miss and land on his face.

Bon Bon laughed uncontrollably at his expense, snorting a few times before taking off into the forest of firelilies. “You’ll have to do better than that!”

"Come on, Chris!" Lyra cheered, using her magic to help Chris to his feet. "We have to catch her!" They both ran off together, chasing after Bon Bon.

It had been way too long since Bon Bon felt this alive. She couldn’t have been happier to be sharing this moment with Chris and Lyra, running through the woods like a bunch of immature foals. They all continued to chase each other back and forth, playing a spontaneous game of tag, or something similar to it. Honestly, Bon Bon didn't know what they were doing, but it hardly mattered.

In the middle of all this fooling around, Bon Bon jumped Chris in a full sprint. She wrapped her forelegs around his chest as their bodies collided, tackling him to the soft ground of firelilies underneath them. They both started to laugh uncontrollably as they laid together in the field of flowers.

“Oh, wow!” Chris breathed as he came down from his laughter, wrapping his arms around Bon Bon, holding her close to his chest. “You really got me good that time.”

Bon Bon giggled a bit, then paused as she looked into Chris’s eyes, taking a moment to admire his well trimmed beard and charming features. The longer she gazed at him the warmer she felt. Her smile started to fade ever so slightly as their embrace lingered.

Chris’s smile started to leave his lips as well. His eyelids started to fall and his head began to inch closer to hers, all on its own.

Bon Bon slowly leaned down, as if being pulled by some unknown force, and she welcomed it. This felt right to her… Like it was meant to be… This was the moment. The moment she was waiting for. “Chris… I…” she whispered as her lips came within centimeters of his. “I-I… I―”

Chris pressed his lips against hers, kissing her for the very first time before she could finish.

Bon Bon closed her eyes as she leaned into Chris. His lips where soft and smooth and his whiskers tickled her nose in a delightful way. It was just like she imagined kissing him would be like and she loved every second of it.

Chris closed his eyes as well, bringing his right hand up to gently hold the back of her head as they deepened their embrace.

Bon Bon hummed into his lips, feeling a tear roll down her cheek. It felt like a piece of her life that was missing had been found. It was at that moment she knew without a doubt what she wanted. She knew that she belonged here with Chris and Lyra. They were a part of her as much as she was a part of them and she wanted this feeling to last forever.

Lyra walked up and laid down in the grass next to them as they slowly broke their kiss apart.

Bon Bon smiled happily with misty eye as she looked over towards Lyra. “I… I want this…” she said softly, wiping away some of her tears. “I want to be with both of you.”

Chris and Lyra glanced at each other, smiling before looking back to Bon Bon. “We were actually going to ask you if you wanted to make things official and join our herd when this trip was over,” Chris replied warmly, running a gentle hand through her curly mane.

Bon Bon quickly nodded her head in response with a wide smile as more tears started to well up in her eyes. “Yes! Yes, of course I do!”

Lyra leaned in and kissed Bon Bon on the lips. They lingered there for a moment before slowly breaking their light embrace apart. “We would be more than happy to have you as part of our family, Bonny,” Lyra cooed lovingly.

Chris slowly rolled over, taking Bon Bon with him. He gently laid her on her back in the field of firelilies and smiled down at her. “Bonny,” he said in a soft, sweet voice. “Are you sure this is what you want? To be with Lyra and I?”

“I do… I truly do, more than anything in the world.” Bon Bon admitted happily. “I want this… I want you both in my life. I love you. I love you both so much!”

“We love you, too, Bon Bon.” Lyra said softly, stealing another kiss.

“And we always will,” Chris added, running a hand lovingly through her curly mane, causing some of the orange petals in her hair to fall back into the field of firelilies behind her.

Bon Bon nodded her head as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. She couldn’t have been happier to be here at this moment with the ones she loved. She wanted to be one with Chris and Lyra and share her life with theirs... forever.

She was ready to accept her feelings for Chris and finally be a part of their family.

Author's Notes:

I have to say... I'm sorry this took me so long to get out. I was having a lot of trouble with it. I do hope you guys like part 1 of this chapter, but this isn't the end. There are 3 parts to this and I will be posting them one at a time every day.

With that said... Let's talk about part 2 for a second... Okay... so... part 2 is... All Clop For those that don't enjoy that kind of thing, you CAN skip it. All you need to know is that they all got together and there will be a part 3 that you can enjoy that will bring this story to it's close. I hope to see you there!

And for those that do enjoy the clop stuff, I have to warn you... It's 15k words of sex. Did it need to be that long just to show that these characters coming together? No, not really... But I wanted it to be. There was a lot that I wanted them all to do, and that's what I did. They also help Bon Bon along with some things that she's still not completely over yet, so there is some story to it. It's not all just pure sex, but it's a lot. With that said, I know reading about stuff like that for so long can be tiring if you're not into whats going on, so I recommend reading it in parts, or skim though the scenes that you don't like. I would not be offended if you had to do that in order to read all of it. But, I do hope you enjoy it. Just makes sure you know what your getting yourself into before you start reading 15k words of human on pony lovemaking.

Now with that out of that way... I plan to have part 2 up tomorrow and part 3 up Tuesday if all goes well!

Tell me what you think! Let me know if stuff is messed up or missing. And I always love to hear what you liked, so feel free to let me know if you enjoy something about this chapter. Or if you didn't like something, then you can tell me that as well. I won't like it as much, but it does help me to be a better writer, so let me know.